Economic Importance of Shellfishes of Bangladesh

Almost all farmed produced shrimps are exported as processed frozen sea food and is the second largest export item in Bangladesh. Presently 162 processing plants are in operation among which 74 processing plants are EU approved. Directly and indirectly more than 2 million people are engaged in upstream and downstream activities related to shrimp industry in the country- in harvesting, culture, processing and exporting (DoF, 2012). Majority of the processing workers are women. Thus, these plants are assured livelihood vast number of people of the country. Specific significances are as follows-

Government earns considerable amount of foreign currency through frozen export

Consumed locally and serve important source of protein

Created employment opportunities for about seven hundred thousand people

Lobster culture is not yet gets popularity in the context of our country and they are mainly captured from the Bay of Bengal during shrimp exploitation. It is exploited mainly from westward elephant point upto Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal. Lobsters have both high food and economic value. Specific significances are as follows-

Sold mostly fresh or frozen in local markets and sometimes exported

Locally consumed

It may serve as ornamental value

Crabs:

Due to religious prohibition on eating crabs, the mud crab (Scylla serrata) and swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) fisheries are not popular in Bangladesh even though they have commercial importance in the world market. Some economic importance are-

Oyster shells are also used in the preparation of Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines in the form of shell extracts.

The oyster and mussel shells are used as poultry and fish meal.

Shells of these bivalves are also being used for preparing decoration pieces and jewellery ornaments like necklace, ring, earnings, bangles, hair slides, hairpin etc.

Potential local markets have been identified for these mollusks by Ghosh (2004) among the people of Rakhaing community at Cox’s Bazar and tribal people in Hill Tracts regions. Prospective export markets also exist in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and China where these species are widely eaten.

Clams: The annual production of two clams (Meretix meretrix and Anadra sp.) is roughly estimated to be 80 to 100 metric tons from which Government earned considerable amount of foreign currency. Clams and its shellare collected in large quantities for-

lime production;

manufacture of handicrafts which sell commonly in the local tourist markets;

using as raw material for poultry and fish feed; and

some tribal communities generally consume its flesh.

Cephalopods (Cuttlefish, Squid and Octopus): The study on stock assessment to promote exploitation is yet to be done, although they have potential export market in Japan, Thailand and China. Some significances are as follows-

cuttlefish primarily used as food for coastal tribal people;

babies are also used as bait for commercial and recreational fisheries; and

important in local and subsistence fisheries as well as export industries.